Preview

Of Mice and Men Tragedy

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
631 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Of Mice and Men Tragedy
The death of Lennie at the end of ¡®Of Mice and Men¡¯ seems, at first, to be the most tragic event in the novel, especially for the people directly concerned, such as George and Lennie himself. However, in actual fact, the novel is full of sad people suffering in a world where no one really cares about them.

The men who worked on the ranches, the itinerant workers were sad and lonely people. As George says ¡°Guys like us, who work on ranches, were the most lonely people in this world.¡± They had no families and no homes. They moved from place to place to find work. Some had dreams of owning land, but only a few dreams came true. They tried to save up money, but spent every thing on Saturdays. They were back to nothing on Monday again. Most of the ranch hands were totally alone, they had no one to talk car of them. George and Lennie were different. They got each other, and they took cared to each other. Even though Lennie died, at least while he was alive, he had someone who cared about him.

For a while, Candy wasn¡¯t so lonely because he had his dog. He had his dog since it was a pup, they companied each other until Candy¡¯s dog was killed. Candy was old and disabled, he know if he couldn¡¯t work anymore, he would be sacked. He would be put on the county on his own. For a while, he had hope again. He could go with George and Lennie and live on their own farm, where there would be love and care. But when Curley¡¯s wife died, his dream was gone. He knew he was going to face the fact, where as soon as he couldn¡¯t out no bunkhouse, he would be put on the county on his own. Candy was a sad and old man whose life was made more tragic by the death of his old dog and Curley¡¯s wife.

Crooks too, was another lonely person. Unlike Candy, he was lonely because he was the only black person on the ranch. He was separated from everyone else on the ranch. He was sad and lonely as you can tell from his words with Lennie. ¡°Maybe you can see now. You got George. You

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    By looking at the main characters, George and Lennie individually, one can see the contrast between them in both physical appearances and their nature. For George, “every part of him was defined”, while Lennie is the exact opposite as he was “a huge man, shapeless of face, with large pale eyes and sloping shoulders” (Steinbeck,2). Their differences help create an idea that together they can achieve anything put across their path, especially the American dream. With George being the leader of the pair, his desire to keep Lennie…

    • 740 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck illustrates the loneliness of the characters and the isolation of the characters in the Ranch and how they are driven to try and find friendship and escape loneliness.…

    • 1702 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Soon after they arrive at the ranch, George and Lennie meet some new and delightful people that they will be living with, until they earn enough money to buy a place of their own. One of the new people that Lennie and George meet was Candy and his old dog. Candy was an old…

    • 1272 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Often when struggling with dangers we find hope and we look to the outside world for assurance and escape from our worries or pain. George and Lennie find dangers from the very start of the novel because of they are forced to run from one of many problems Lennie causes. In the novel Steinbeck gives Lennie a purpose of taking care of the "rabbits" and in doing this it shows Lennie that to him his purpose in life is to take care of the "Rabbits." In the novel a quote that show that the dangers they ran from at the very beginning are far behind them, “Guys like us, that work on ranches ,are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no families. They don 't belong no place... We 're gonna have a little house an ' a couple of acres an ' a cow and some pigs and live off the fatta the land... We 'll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens…" this quote shows how George and Lennie strive to have a better life. Even though George knows that these dreams will never come true, “let’s have…

    • 1369 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Of Mice and Men

    • 377 Words
    • 2 Pages

    * Lenie and Curley, Lennie and Crooks, George and Lennie, and Lennie and Curley's Wife…

    • 377 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    of mice and men

    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In the passage Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck uses imagery to show the plain and basic bunkhouse and how the ranch is isolated to show the lack of identity the men have. “Long, rectangular building” and “whitewashed, floor unpainted” indicate that it is the place of inhabitance of George and Lennie and how it is not really there home but it is somewhere where they are just staying. The surroundings are a representation that the inhabitance of the bunkhouse is ‘cold’ and ‘not homely like but it serves the functions of a house that the poor ranchmen need. It is a lack of the individual’s sprit and how the blank walls and unpainted floor can be represented as nature and how living on a ranch can bring the inner of a ranchman to their surroundings. One can see this as a symbol and how the bunkhouse is being created to show that because the men don't have anything else, this is what they need and it is not a place to express them in the way that they should.…

    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    In John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, he portrays love as an important part of human nature. Without love or companionship, Steinbeck shows how someone will become monstrous. An instinct in every person causes a horrified reaction to the calloused actions of the uncaring in Steinbeck’s story. Lennie is Steinbeck’s best example of love untainted by the world, as his mental condition doesn’t allow him to learn much, not absorbing the apprehensive, bitter habits that mask other people’s hearts. He shows love most bluntly, making an effort to befriend every creature and character, oblivious to his habit to physically hurt. When Candy’s dog is killed, Steinbeck shows a little caring in the other men, limited as it is, showing that…

    • 1815 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    A reader’s understanding of the American working class’ situation during the 1930’s is further deepened by knowledge of the socio-historical context surrounding John Steinbeck book Of Mice and Men, which can be read as a microcosm of American society at the time. In particular, background knowledge of the Great Depression and the associated major social upheavals of the time, as well as the social hierarchy as a result of the Great Depression, reveals some of the motivations behind the main events Steinbeck writes into the plot. To a lesser extent a reader’s understanding is further added to by knowledge of Steinbeck’s literary context, such as the style in which he wrote Of Mice and Men, his approach to the issues he brings up, as well as the particular values he upholds.…

    • 1017 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Of Mice and Men

    • 385 Words
    • 2 Pages

    I think there are many characters that stand out as being weak in many different ways in the book with either physical or mental weaknesses, and occasionally both. Candy clearly is easily dictated as Carlson proved, but I think the presentation of Curley's wife and Crooks is more intriguing.…

    • 385 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The loneliness of Crooks, Lennie, Candy, and Curley's wife is shown in many different ways. The first person that is lonely is Crooks. Crooks is lonely because he is the only black man on the ranch, and he cannot go in he bunkhouse because it is filled with white people, so he cannot talk to anyone before bed. For example, nobody is allowed in Crooks room because he is not allowed in the bunkhouse therefore Crooks has books in his room to read. Another person who is lonely is Lennie. Lennie is lonely because all he has is George, and when George leaves Lennie has no one else. He is also lonely because he cannot talk to people because they do not understand him. For example, when George went into town, Lennie had no one to talk to so he went…

    • 298 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Of Mice and Men

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the tragic setting of Mice And Men, takes place in the 1920’s to early 30’s. During the Great Depression people try to find jobs to survive the lifestyle of that time, The two main characters of this story George and, Lennie who are complete opposite. However they remain loyal to each other despite the difference. Steinbeck uses a lot of foreshadowing throughout his book. For reference, Steinbeck refers to Lennie as an animal. “Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water…” George, later in the book, says “Ever’ Sunday we’d kill a chicken or rabbit. Maybe we’d have a cow or goat.” At the end of the book George kills Lennie. This is foreshadowing because Steinbeck is hinting that George would eventually kill Lennie as he said they’d kill an animal every weekend. In this case Lennie was constantly compared to an animal. This reminds us that Lennie is like an animal and that George kills all sorts of animals which shows the image that Lennie is going to be killed by George.…

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Of Mice And Men Reflection

    • 1463 Words
    • 6 Pages

    George and Lennie are startled because they were not aware Candy was near their bunks. George figures out no harm would be done by telling him about the plan because he doesn’t know where it is so he does so. Candy brings up the boss gave him $250 when he lost his hand at the farm, he had $50 in the bank, and he had $50 as his wage at the the end of the month. George starts to become more optimistic because the plot only cost $600. George tells Candy that he would have $100 summing up his and Lennie’s earnings from the farm. He says they could start off selling eggs to get the rest of the money for the plot. George tells both Lennie and Candy not to tell anyone about the newly formulated plan because they could be deleterious to it. Unexpectedly Slim walks into the bunkhouse followed by Curley, Carlson and another ranch hand. Slim and Carlson argue over that Slim in a relationship with his wife. Carlson gets involved telling him that he needs to control his wife in a sexist manner. Curley gets angered by this remark and tells him to stay out of it. Carlson then calls Curley a punk causing Candy to join in on the vociferation. His eyes wandered to Lennie who was still smiling about the dream of of tending to the rabbits when they would own land. Curley then dashed at Lennie punching repeatedly in the face. Lennie is lost and ask George for instructions. George tells Lennie to fight back this time when Curley punches him he grabs his fist and squeezes it as hard as he can. George yells for him to stop, but it was too late. Lennie had already broken his handy before he can let go. George decides to round up the ranch hands and go into the city to take Curley to a hospital. He decides it would be best if Lennie stayed behind. Lennie walks around thinking about what he has done and comes across Crooks’ (a discriminated against African American stable…

    • 1463 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Of Mice and Men

    • 909 Words
    • 4 Pages

    ‘The more a society seeks to disempower its people, the more the individual spirit thrives.’…

    • 909 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Exploring Significance

    • 1197 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Lennie encouraged George about the dream and living on the ranch. When he died everything was destroyed. George was…

    • 1197 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    One of the reasons Of Mice and Men can be read as a tragedy is because of the high number of deaths (the mouse near the start, Candy’s dog, Lennie’s pup, Candy’s dog, Curley’s wife and Lennie himself in the end). The main ones are the death of Curley’s wife and Lennie. Before Curley’s wife dies by the hands of Lennie, she tells Lennie that she could have been on the stage-‘he says he was gonna put me in the movies……but my ol’ lady wouldn’t let me’. Curley’s wife never asked to live on the ranch, however fate ruined her life. This can link to Lennie’s death because he too dies before he ‘tends the rabbits’ like he always wanted to. The tragedy behind these deaths is that…

    • 856 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays